Container with peel-off cover

ABSTRACT

A container comprising a plurality of side walls arranged in a polygonal shape, a bottom surface and a top surface extending from the side walls, a peel-off cover removable from the top surface along a shear line, and a handle attached to the container.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to non-round containers,and particularly to a non-round container with a peel-off cover.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Paints, varnishes, whitewash, epoxies and other single, dual- ormulti-component substances generally are provided in round cans with aremovable cover. The cover is typically round and press-fit onto the topof the can. The press fit forms a seal to prevent the contents of thecan from spilling or drying out. In order to gain access to thecontents, one generally pries open the cover with a flat-blade tool,e.g., a screwdriver. After opening, one may introduce a mixing tool intothe contents and thoroughly mix the contents before use. Once thecontents are mixed, one usually carries the can to the application site,pours the contents to an application device (e.g., air/airless sprayer,floor spreader, etc.), or uses the contents directly from the can (e.g.,brush, trowel, etc.).

[0003] However, existing round cans may present some problems.Transporting or storing cans naturally necessitates placing the cans onenext to the other. It is readily appreciated that rectangular cans maybe placed side-by-side with virtually no wasted space therebetween. Onthe other hand, round cans placed adjacent one another wastes a lot ofvaluable space. Nevertheless, round cans are used to store suchabovementioned substances largely due to the need for a full topopening, which enables proper mixing of the contents before use. Inpractice, rectangular cans are normally placed right next to each other,with a small carry handle at the middle of the top surface, and afilling/pouring hole near one of the corners. A press-fit or screw-onlid normally seals the filling/pouring hole.

[0004] However, a rectangular can may not provide the same degree of“open-mix-carry” qualities of a round can, such as for the followingreasons:

[0005] a. Providing a lid on the entire top surface leaves no room forthe handle, which eliminates the ability to easily carry the mixed canto the place of its use.

[0006] b. Providing a lid on the entire top surface cannot provide thesame degree of sealing, largely due to bowing or bending of the sides ofthe rectangular can (such bending does not occur with a round can).

[0007] c. Providing a side-hooked handle (like in round cans) will causethe rectangular cans to stand apart, thus wasting valuable space (inround cans the side handle fits easily into the voids between the cans).

[0008] Due in part to the above reasons, rectangular cans are usedmainly for storing substances, which do not require mixing before use,thus losing a significant potential market.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention seeks to provide improved non-roundcontainers, which may be used to store any kind of substance, such asthose which require thorough mixing before use. A handle may be providedthat does not jut out beyond the perimeter of the container, and whichmay be used to carry the container before and after it has been opened.The container may be made of any suitable material, such as but notlimited to, metal. plastic, or cardboard.

[0010] There is thus provided in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention a container comprising a plurality of side wallsarranged in a polygonal shape, a bottom surface and a top surfaceextending from the side walls, a peel-off cover removable from the topsurface along a shear line, and a handle attached to the container. Thehandle may be made of any suitable material, such as but not limited to,metal or plastic.

[0011] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention thehandle may be outside the area bounded by the shear line. The handle maynot significantly jut beyond an outer contour of the container.

[0012] Still further in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention at least a portion of the shear line may have a polygonalshape.

[0013] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention thepolygonal shape may comprise rounded corners.

[0014] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention thepolygonal shape may comprise a corner near a corner of the top surface.

[0015] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention thepolygonal shape may comprise a corner near a side of the top surface.

[0016] Still further in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention the shear line may comprise an arcuate portion and a polygonalshape extending from and continuous with the arcuate portion.

[0017] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention theshear line may be arranged with respect to the top surface, such thatafter removal of the cover, a remaining edge of the shear line may be ina non-injurious position.

[0018] Further in accordance with an embodiment of the present inventiona fill hole is formed on the top surface. The fill hole may be formedwithin or outside of the area bounded by the shear line.

[0019] Still further in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention the handle is pivotally attached to the container.

[0020] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention thehandle may be shaped such that when laying flat on the top surface thehandle lies outside the area bounded by the shear line.

[0021] Further in accordance with an embodiment of the present inventionthe shear line may be located below, above, or flush with the topsurface.

[0022] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention thecover may extend from the top surface by means of a fold, and the shearline is located on the fold.

[0023] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention thecover may extend from the top surface by means of an adhesiveconnection, and the shear line is located at the adhesive.

[0024] Further in accordance with an embodiment of the present inventiona protective rim may be formed on or below the top surface adjacent theshear line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present invention will be understood and appreciated morefully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction withthe drawings in which:

[0026]FIG. 1 is a simplified illustration of a container, constructedand operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027]FIGS. 2A, 2B and 3 are simplified top-view illustrations of acontainer, constructed and operative in accordance with three differentembodiments of the present invention; and

[0028]FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D, are simplified illustrations of aninterface between a peel-off cover and the top surface of the containerof FIGS. 1-3, in accordance with different embodiments of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0029] Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which illustrates a container10, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0030] Container 10 may comprise any polygonal configuration (i.e., anyfinite number of sides at any angles). In the illustrated embodiment,there are four side walls 12, wherein adjacent side walls 12 aregenerally perpendicular to one another. Container 10 may be rectangularor square, for example, with round corners. (Alternatively, container 10may be hexagonal or any other polygonal shape.) A bottom surface 14 anda top surface 16 extend from side walls 12, and may be sealed thereto byany suitable method of manufacture.

[0031] Top surface 16 may comprise a peel-off cover 18 which isremovable along a shear line 20. For example, cover 18 may be removedfrom top surface 16 by pulling upwards on a ring pull opener 22 andshearing cover 18 off top surface 16 along shear line 20. In anotherexample, shear line 20 may comprise an adhesive connection between cover18 and top surface 16, and cover 18 may be removed from top surface 16by breaking the adhesive bond and pulling cover 18 off top surface 16.In the embodiment of FIG. 1, shear line 20 is generally circular, butother shapes are also possible, examples of which are describedhereinbelow.

[0032] In general, shear line 20 may be formed on a structure which maybe mechanically broken, such as but not limited to, mechanicallyshearing, stress cracking and rupturing, for example (a peel-off sheetmetal cover is such an example). Alternatively, shear line 20 may beformed on adhesively bonded structures, wherein the adhesive bond may bebroken or otherwise disrupted or destroyed along the shear line 20 (apeel-off, adhesively bonded foil cover on an instant soup mix containeris such an example).

[0033] A handle 24 may be attached to container 10. Handle 24 may bepivotally attached to top surface 16, wherein below top surface 16,handle 24 does not significantly jut beyond an outer contour ofcontainer 10. In the illustrated embodiment, handle 24 does notsignificantly jut beyond an outer contour of container 10 even above topsurface 16. Handle 24 may be shaped, such that when laying flat on topsurface 16, handle 24 lies outside the area bounded by shear line 20, asseen in FIG. 1.

[0034] Handle 24 may be pivotally attached to two opposite corners ofthe sidewalls of container 10. Alternatively, handle 24 may be pivotallyattached to two opposite sidewalls of container 10.

[0035] These are just some possibilities of attaching handle 24, and theinvention is not limited to these examples.

[0036] A fill/pour hole (26 or 28) may be formed on top surface 16. Itis noted that throughout the specification and claims, the term fillhole encompasses both a fill hole and a pour hole. In the embodiment ofFIG. 1, fill hole 26 is outside the area bounded by shear line 20, andfill hole 28 is within the area bounded by shear line 20. The fill/pourholes may be identical to fill holes in use in existing cans.

[0037] After removal of cover 18, the container 10 is open. One mayintroduce a mixing tool into the contents and thoroughly mix thecontents before use. One may discard container 10 after it has beenopened. Alternatively, an external cover may be provided, which isdescribed more in detail with reference to FIG. 2A.

[0038] Reference is now made to FIG. 2A, which illustrates a container29, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment ofthe present invention, and which is a variation of container 10 inFIG. 1. In the embodiment of FIG. 2A, at least a portion of shear line20 has a polygonal shape 30, such as but not limited to, a triangularshape with a corner 32, which may be rounded. In the illustratedembodiment, shear line 20 comprises an arcuate portion 34 and thepolygonal shape 30 extends from and is continuous with arcuate portion34. The corner 32 of the polygonal shape 30, which may be rounded, maybe near a corner 36 of top surface 16. The contents of container 29 maybe poured from the corner 32 of the polygonal shape 30.

[0039] An external cover 52 (illustrated top-side up in FIG. 2A) may beprovided that may be placed over the top of container 10 to seal thecontainer after use. External cover 52 may be fitted over the outercontour of top surface 16 of container 29. Alternatively, an externalpress fit cover 53 (illustrated bottom-side up in FIG. 2A) may beprovided that may be placed into the opening created after removingcover 18 from shear line 20, in order to seal the container 10 afteruse. External press fit cover 53 may accordingly have an inner ridge 55configured to that of shear line 20. External cover 52 or 53 may or maynot cover handle 24. For example, as shown with external cover 52, thecover may be formed with cutouts 73 that accommodate the pivots forhandle 24 and allow handle 24 to lie over the external cover. Externalcovers 52 or 53 may be made of any suitable material, such as but notlimited to, metal, plastic or cardboard.

[0040] Reference is now made to FIG. 2B, which illustrates a container59, constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment ofthe present invention, and which is a variation of container 10 inFIG. 1. In the embodiment of FIG. 2B, at least a portion of shear line20 has a polygonal shape 30, such as but not limited to, a triangularshape with a corner 32, which may be rounded. In the illustratedembodiment, shear line 20 comprises an arcuate portion 34 and thepolygonal shape 30 extends from and is continuous with arcuate portion34. The corner 32 of the polygonal shape 30 may be near a side 37 of topsurface 16. The contents of container 29 may be poured from the corner32 of the polygonal shape 30.

[0041] Reference is now made to FIG. 3, which illustrates a container39, constructed and operative in accordance with yet another embodimentof the present invention, and which is another variation of container 10in FIG. 1. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, shear line 20 again comprises apolygonal shape 40, wherein the polygonal shape 40 comprises at least aportion of a rhombus having corners 42, which may be rounded. Corners 42of the polygonal shape 40 may be near corner 36 of top surface 16. Thecontents of container 39 may be poured from either corner 42 of thepolygonal shape 40. In this embodiment, fill hole 26 is within the areabounded by shear line 20.

[0042] Reference is now made to FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D, whichillustrate four possible locations of shear line 20 in the containers ofthe invention. It is emphasized that the invention is not limited tothese locations. In these embodiments, shear line 20 is arranged withrespect to top surface 16 such that after removal of cover 18, aremaining edge of shear line 20 is in a non-injurious position. In bothof the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B, cover 18 extends fromtop surface 16 by means of a fold 48, and shear line 20 is located onfold 48. In FIG. 4A, shear line 20 is flush with top surface 16. In FIG.4B, shear line 20 is located below top surface 16. In FIG. 4C, shearline 20 is flush with top surface 16 and a protective rim 50 may beformed on (shown in a solid line) or below (shown in a broken line) topsurface 16. Protective rim 50 may help prevent accidental injury from asharp edge after removal of cover 18. Protective rim 50 may be made ofany suitable material, such as but not limited to, plastic.

[0043] As mentioned hereinabove, shear line 20 may be formed on astructure which may be mechanically broken, such as but not limited to,mechanically shearing, stress cracking and rupturing, for example.Alternatively, shear line 20 may be formed on adhesively bondedstructures, wherein the adhesive bond may be broken or otherwisedisrupted or destroyed along the shear line 20. FIG. 4D illustrates thelatter example, wherein shear line 20 is located above top surface 16 bymeans of an adhesive 51, of any suitable kind. The protective rim 50 maybe formed below top surface 16, adjacent to adhesive 51 and shear line20. Protective rim 50 may help prevent accidental injury from a sharpedge after removal of cover 18. Protective rim 50 may be made of anysuitable material, such as but not limited to, plastic.

[0044] It will be appreciated by person skilled in the art that thepresent invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown anddescribed herein above. Rather the scope of the present invention isdefined only by the claims that follow:

What is claimed is:
 1. A container comprising: a plurality of side wallsarranged in a polygonal shape, a bottom surface and a top surfaceextending from said side walls; a peel-off cover removable from said topsurface along a shear line; and a handle attached to said container. 2.The container according to claim 1, wherein said handle is outside saidan area bounded by said shear line.
 3. The container according to claim1, wherein said handle does not significantly jut beyond an outercontour of said container.
 4. The container according to claim 1,wherein said shear line is at least partially arcuate.
 5. The containeraccording to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said shear line hasa polygonal shape.
 6. The container according to claim 5, wherein saidpolygonal shape comprises a corner near a corner of said top surface. 7.The container according to claim 5, wherein said polygonal shapecomprises a corner near a side of said top surface.
 8. The containeraccording to claim 1, wherein said shear line comprises an arcuateportion and a polygonal shape extending from and continuous with saidarcuate portion.
 9. The container according to claim 1, wherein a fillhole is formed on said top surface.
 10. The container according to claim9, wherein said fill hole is formed within an area bounded by said shearline.
 11. The container according to claim 9, wherein said fill hole isformed outside an area bounded by said shear line.
 12. The containeraccording to claim 1, wherein said handle is pivotally attached to saidcontainer.
 13. The container according to claim 12, wherein said handleis shaped such that when laying flat on said top surface said handlelies outside an area bounded by said shear line.
 14. The containeraccording to claim 1, wherein said shear line is arranged with respectto said top surface, such that after removal of said cover, a remainingedge of said shear line is in a non-injurious position.
 15. Thecontainer according to claim 1, wherein said cover extends from said topsurface by means of a fold, and said shear line is located on said fold.16. The container according to claim 1, wherein a protective rim isformed on said top surface adjacent said shear line.
 17. The containeraccording to claim 1, wherein said cover extends from said top surfaceby means of an adhesive, and said shear line is located at the adhesive.18. The container according to claim 1, further comprising an externalcover adapted to seal the container after it has been opened.
 19. Thecontainer according to claim 18, wherein said external cover is adaptedto be fitted over the outer contour of said top surface of saidcontainer.
 20. The container according to claim 18, wherein saidexternal cover is adapted to be placed into an opening created afterremoving said peel-off cover from said shear line.